All reviews - Movies (27) - TV Shows (4) - DVDs (4) - Books (2) - Music (8) - Games (11)

Perfect

Posted : 6 months, 4 weeks ago on 20 March 2008 03:16 (A review of The Shawshank Redemption (Two-Disc Special Edition))

What can be said about this movie that has already been said before?
Shawshank is based on the novella by Stephen King and is about Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly put in prison for murdering his wife and her lover, and how he handles life inside Shawshank State Prison.
Acting by every person in this movie are all Oscar worthy in my book, from Tim Robbins portraying Andy is perfect at showing Andy's intelligent and calm nature, Morgan Freeman as 'Red', a fellow prisoner that befriends Andy and tries to understand Andy's thinking, and even Bob Gunton who plays the warden bringing his the warden's hypocrisy to life.
Music in the movie is awesome fitting in perfectly for each scene and never kills the mood but enhances it.
Visually the cinematographic is spot on showing emotions perfectly and the bleakness of prison while still showing hope through Andy's eyes.
The Shawshank Redemption is a absolutely wonderful film filled with hope in a place normally with no room for it and if you have not seen it I say do your self a favor and see this movie because I personally guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

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Another WWII FPS with a twist

Posted : 7 months ago on 18 March 2008 12:56 (A review of Brothers in Arms: Road To Hill 30)

Oh no, another WWII based shooter!
Well this game isn't bad and should be played.

Based on a true story, set during the famous airdrop before the invasion at Normandy, where Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne Paratroopers are scattered over the French countryside.
There are 20 chapters to play through and with the action and story, you'll really want to know whats going to happen next.

Controls are easy enough for anyone who has played FPS on PC but it does have a little bit a getting used to. Why? Because player not only controlling Baker, but the squad thats with him. Player control two fire teams and can place one team to place covering and suppressing fire while Baker and the other team flanks the enemies. The game does have a tutorial build in so that player can learn to lead their brothers to victory.

Music in game is the pretty standard fare of orchestral but the sound FX of the gun fire and squad members yelling at the player were so life like and is really immersive.

The game just looks great as every house, plant and character are all textured wonderfully and bring the game a gritty realistic feel.

The only draw back is that the team AI isn't smart enough sometimes and continually says that they can't see or shoot a target and don't move to get a better shot and sometimes gets shot and dies so the strategy part is mandatory most of the time.

Really the game is fast, furious and a blast to play and the story is compelling to continue to the end.

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I don't need coffee to have fun

Posted : 7 months ago on 18 March 2008 12:26 (A review of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Special Edition))

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the 6th game in the series and one of the best.

The player takes the role of Carl Johnson, an ex-gang member that just heard that his mother was killed and comes back for home for answers. He is almost instantly brought back into his old gang and for the rest of the game he goes on trying to take over his neighborhood and later that whole state.

Players that have played GTA3 or GTA: Vice City know what the game is like; killing, shooting, racing, and just running a muck. And nothing really has changed since the previous games other then a couple little things like the player is able to swim and not die instantly, flying is easier and parachutes are added, lock on isn't perfect but better then before, and the game adds a fat-fitness part where the player has to watch what Carl eats and exercises so that he isn't too fat and slow or too skinny and weak.

One major thing over previous installments is the shear size of the state of San Andreas which it is about 2 to 3 times as big as Vice City's layout and is full of things to do.

The music is a mixed bag for me as most of the soundtrack is full of rap/hip-hop and the only stations I would listen to was the talk and rock stations and sometimes those got boring so I was glad I could mute the game and listen to my iPod.

The voice acting in San Andreas is awesome as all the characters from Carl to Officer Tenpenny all sound like they are real people in this faux world.

Now unless someone was living under a rock for the past couple years, San Andreas came under fire for having a "hidden" sex game but was only unlockable if the player owns a cheat device or has the PC version and unofficially patched the game so really the game got a little more heat than it should have. And in this edition that part of the code has been removed totally so players wanting to see the "hot coffee" are out of luck.

Added into the special edition is The Introduction which chronicles the events leading up where the game starts.

In whole the game is a blast to play and if you own a PS2 you shouldn't be caught dead with out it.

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I don't need coffee to have fun

Posted : 7 months ago on 18 March 2008 12:25 (A review of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the 6th game in the series and one of the best.

The player takes the role of Carl Johnson, an ex-gang member that just heard that his mother was killed and comes back for home for answers. He is almost instantly brought back into his old gang and for the rest of the game he goes on trying to take over his neighborhood and later that whole state.

Players that have played GTA3 or GTA: Vice City know what the game is like; killing, shooting, racing, and just running a muck. And nothing really has changed since the previous games other then a couple little things like the player is able to swim and not die instantly, flying is easier and parachutes are added, lock on isn't perfect but better then before, and the game adds a fat-fitness part where the player has to watch what Carl eats and exercises so that he isn't too fat and slow or too skinny and weak.

One major thing over previous installments is the shear size of the state of San Andreas which it is about 2 to 3 times as big as Vice City's layout and is full of things to do.

The music is a mixed bag for me as most of the soundtrack is full of rap/hip-hop and the only stations I would listen to was the talk and rock stations and sometimes those got boring so I was glad I could mute the game and listen to my iPod.

The voice acting in San Andreas is awesome as all the characters from Carl to Officer Tenpenny all sound like they are real people in this faux world.

Now unless someone was living under a rock for the past couple years, San Andreas came under fire for having a "hidden" sex game but was only unlockable if the player owns a cheat device or has the PC version and unofficially patched the game so really the game got a little more heat than it should have. And in this edition that part of the code has been removed totally so players wanting to see the "hot coffee" are out of luck.

In whole the game is a blast to play and if you own a PS2 you shouldn't be caught dead with out it.

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Strange artisic fantasy film

Posted : 7 months, 1 week ago on 8 March 2008 05:37 (A review of MirrorMask)

Strange is the first word that comes to mind after watching MirrorMask but an enjoyable strange.
The film stars Helena, a girl whose parents are circus owners and performers and when her mother falls ill and she blames herself because they had fought earlier. Helena falls asleep and when she wakes up she finds herself in a strange world that is slowly being consumed by shadow. Helena finds out that there are two lands, the City of Light and Land of Shadow, and both have queens and someone looking like Helena stole the "charm" from the Light's queen and so now she can't awake and now the shadows are taking over. Helena finds out that the "charm" is really the MirrorMask and she sets out to find it and restore the balance.
Acting in the movie is okay but really nothing compared to the art.
Visually the art in the most of the movie is a mix of digital graphics and live action in a darker theme that is a very strange but fits the setting.
Music is also strange as most of the music isn't full orchestral but sounds like a small band from the circus.
MirrorMask is a strange fantasy movie with a so what interesting story but with art style that should be seen at least once.

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Why do you even try, Disney?

Posted : 7 months, 1 week ago on 8 March 2008 04:48 (A review of Valiant)

Ever since Pixar started making movies all of Disney's movie have been on a downward spiral.
In Valiant, the title role is a pigeon, voiced by Ewan McGregor, in the 1944 wanting to join the Royal Homing Pigeon Service to help the war effort. After basic he sets off on a mission to deliver a message from the French mouse resistance back to England and away from the Nazi falcon's from learning its secrets.
While the voice work is top notch, employing Ewan McGregor, Tim Curry, John Cleese, and Hugh Laurie; they don't really add much to the bland and unfunny writing that kills most of the movie.
Art in the film is good and fluid and music is also par for the setting.
Valiant is one of a long line of Disney films that doesn't live up to the name and can be enjoyed but not by me.

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Mediocre romantic comedy

Posted : 7 months, 1 week ago on 8 March 2008 04:27 (A review of Prime)

I'm not much of a romantic comedy watching kind of guy but I do watch some from time to time. And Prime is one and its a mediocre one at best.
The movie is about a older just divorced women that meets a much younger man and the twist is that the man's mother is the women's therapist. While its interesting at first, the movie seems to drop the whole idea when the therapist tells the woman and the rest of the movie is just a normal romantic comedy.
While the acting isn't terrible it really isn't great and score wise the music isn't special.
I can't really say anything really nice about the movie since it's really mediocre and if watched and enjoyed it must be done by a die hard romantic comedy fan.

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Personally powerful hitting movie

Posted : 7 months, 1 week ago on 8 March 2008 04:20 (A review of The Passion of the Christ)

First off, Jesus dies!
Yeah, I had to do a Penny-Arcade reference.

Seriously The Passion is a awe inspiring experience and I do mean experience.

The movie follow Jesus Christ on the last days of his life from the night in the garden of Gethsemane to his trail, flogging, crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

Acting on everyones part is awe inspiring and is a site to behold as each person comes alive.

Music is wonderful fittings every scene perfectly and accentuates the emotions that sometimes gave me chills.

Now some parts are gory, such as the flogging scene, and can be a little uncomfortable to watch so be warned.

There are a couple technical problems that I have with the movie, both scientifically and biblically, but those didn't alter my review because the point of the movie was brought across so perfectly that those became irrelevant.

Overall the movie is a experience to see, regardless of beliefs, and will bring everyone watching to tears at least once.




Now personally I found the movie very power hitting movie for me as I am a Christian and sometimes forget what Christ went through for the sins of the world and why he went through it and if you are also a Christian I hope that this movie also hit hard and will live with you forever.

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Near perfect anime

Posted : 7 months, 1 week ago on 8 March 2008 03:45 (A review of Cowboy Bebop)

When I first started watching anime the first show I watched was Dragonball Z. But it was Cowboy Bebop that really had me hooked.

The show is set in 2071 and chronicles bounty hunters on board a spaceship, named Bebop, on their travels for bounties.

Most episodes are about the bounties but slowly shows the back story of all the characters with all of their stories coming to reaching a fulfilling end.

I find the voice acting in the English dub great and well done and that they fit the characters wonderfully.

The writing for the show is great in giving all the characters a sense of depth and having a story line feel rewarding in the end.

Art work is is also great, showing wonderful detailed solar system that feels alive and action scenes are fluid.

And the music for the show is strangely perfect with a mix of jazz, blues, rock, electronic and other genres that fits brilliantly to every situation.

Overall Bebop is a near perfect anime that I can, and have, watch over and over and still enjoy it every time.

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Perfect

Posted : 7 months, 2 weeks ago on 4 March 2008 12:34 (A review of The Shawshank Redemption)

What can be said about this movie that hasn't already been said before?

Shawshank is based on the novella by Stephen King and is about Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly put in prison for murdering his wife and her lover, and how he handles life inside Shawshank State Prison.

Acting by every person in this movie are all Oscar worthy in my book, from Tim Robbins portraying Andy is perfect at showing Andy's intelligent and calm nature, Morgan Freeman as 'Red', a fellow prisoner that befriends Andy and tries to understand Andy's thinking, and even Bob Gunton who plays the warden bringing his the warden's hypocrisy to life.

Music in the movie is awesome fitting in perfectly for each scene and never kills the mood but enhances it.

Visually the cinematographic is spot on showing emotions perfectly and the bleakness of prison while still showing hope through Andy's eyes.

The Shawshank Redemption is a absolutely wonderful film filled with hope in a place normally with no room for it and if you have not seen it I say do your self a favor and see this movie because I personally guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

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